Palo Alto-based search engine Kagi is bringing its handpicked collection of non-commercial, human-authored websites to mobile devices through new "Small Web" apps for iOS and Android. The initiative marks a shift in how the company is positioning itself as mainstream search engines increasingly struggle with content infused with, if not directly authored by, AI.
Kagi's Small Web features over 30,000 curated sites, ranging from personal blogs to webcomics and independent video creators. These sites include personal blogs, webcomics, independent videos, and other properties that formed the basis of the early web before it became dominated by ad-supported business models and platforms controlled by large corporations. Users can now browse these sites on their phones with content filters by category (videos, blogs, code repositories, or comics), view recently popular sites, read in distraction-free mode, and save favourite articles for later.
The timing reflects a genuine market frustration. As Google grapples with AI-generated spam polluting its search results and social media feeds become increasingly algorithmic, Kagi is carving out space for what the internet used to be. The business model matters here. Kagi uses a subscription-based system, which means no ads and no incentive to keep users doomscrolling or to prioritise content that generates clicks over quality.
Kagi first launched its Small Web initiative in 2023, designed to promote this kind of content in its search results and through a dedicated website. The mobile expansion suggests the company believes there is sufficient demand for this alternative. Rather than relying on crawlers and algorithms, Kagi's approach flips the conventional search model by operating more like a digital librarian's carefully maintained collection instead of crawling the entire web.
A Tension Worth Acknowledging
The model does come with legitimate limitations. On Hacker News, some users pointed out that Kagi limits its selection to sites with RSS feeds that have recent posts, ruling out unique, single-purpose websites or experimental pages from being included in the collection. This means certain kinds of internet creativity fall outside the Small Web's curation.
There is also the subscription question. The paid model is a hard sell in a market where Google and social media are free, but Kagi's betting that the AI content crisis will drive enough users to paid alternatives. For most people, shifting to a $5 to $25 monthly search subscription represents a friction point that free alternatives do not.
Nonetheless, the Small Web expansion reflects something real happening across digital culture. While major platforms double down on AI-generated content and algorithmic curation, smaller players are finding traction by going the opposite direction, suggesting there is real demand for human-curated, human-created content even if it means sacrificing scale. Whether that demand is enough to sustain a paid search engine remains uncertain, but the bet itself is worth watching.